Alone at last
by Marla.and.RubyT
Summary: Years after the war, On Ji wakes up to find herself alone. T for languge.  This short summary is annoying, no?


**Hey people. This is me and Marla's second story, and our first one with an introduction, whee! If you don't remember who On Ji and Hide are, they're characters in the episode The Headband. This particular story takes place several years after the war has ended, and On Ji and Hide are now married. We would very much appreciate it if you reviewed this story, but if not that's ok too, we understand you have stuff to do and (for some of you) a life to live. Just a little hint- although me and Marla always split credit 50/50, this story is my personal brainchild, just like ****Into the Future**** is Marla's. If you read this and like it, u should then read that story too…just sayin…**

"**I, Marla Caulfield, admit that I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender in any way shape or form…But I think RubyT here does, Ruby?"**

"**Nope, the plan failed. Turns out Nickelodeon has better security then we thought."**

"**Well thank god for that…"**

Alone at Last

Hide hadn't come home last night. She didn't know if she should feel relived or horrified, so she felt both.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling; waking up alone. Golden daggers of sunlight crept in though her window and slashed at On Ji's eyes, unpleasantly waking her. Her hands still on her stomach, as if she still had any reason to protect it anymore, she opened her eyes to momentarily blind herself before beginning the day.

That's when she saw that she was alone.

Morning came and left, but even hours later he hadn't came home. He hadn't even left a note behind. The way she saw it, if he was going to leave, the least he could do was leave her a note. But no, Hide never did make things easy for her.

Each night after dinner he would leave with his friends, only to return inebriated early in the morning before the sun rose. He spent half his life in a bar, whining about what had happened to 'his country', and the other half at home complaining about her. It was irritating to say the least.

But now he was gone.

Maybe he had finally joined a resistance, like he had always claimed he would. Maybe he was right now amongst hundreds of other disgruntled fire nation citizen's still loyal to the fallen Phoenix King Ozai. Maybe he would never come home. Maybe, just maybe, she would never see him again…

Part of her smiled at the sentiment. On Ji had never wanted to marry Hide, but after the fall of her nation, her parents had pushed it on her. He was a loyalist like her family, it only seemed right. All of those earlier dreams- higher education, marrying a nobleman or even maybe a royal- they had all died the second after Firelord Zuko's coronation. In fact, after that day, it seemed everybody's dreams had died. At least, everybody she knew.

Now her village was nothing but one big complaint. People would openly express their distrust of their new Firelord, some of the more radical ones even speaking the old fire nation oath before each meal; like some sort of prayer. Hatred was now stronger then ever, despite the efforts to rebuild and restore peace.

On Ji sat quietly her porch watching the sunset after the long day alone. She had spent it going about her usual business; secretly thankful for the quiet, despite the required false worry for Hide's safety she had talked herself into. The sun was sinking beautifully into the vast ocean, illuminating the caves just outside of town.

The sight reminded her of childhood days playing with the other school children. She smiled when she remembered running off after school to play hide and explode, or other silly games that kids would play back then. The caves, she recalled, were often avoided.

But one day, she remembered fondly, she _had_ visited those mysterious caverns; they all had. That was the day Kuzon had disappeared.

Kuzon. As quickly as he had arrived, the strange colonial boy had gone.

On Ji blushed slightly to herself and sighed. Even now, years later, she remembered him well. He was a complete mystery; introducing ideas she had never known before and a behavior unlike anyone she knew. His influence, although it did not last long, was nevertheless powerful.

For those few hours, dancing away in a cave like a madman, she had truly felt free. Even now, her heart fluttered as she recalled how he had picked her out of the crowd and chose to dance with her first. That had been the peak of her life. Nothing, especially her marriage, could compare to that.

But eventually the sun sunk deep past the horizon, dragging the last remaining light with it; leaving On Ji alone to move on to more recent, and far less appealing memories that poisoned her mind.

Resting a hand upon her stomach, her eyes holding back tears just barely, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure making its way past the homes of feasting neighbors and drawing nearer with each step.

"Where were you?" she asked him softly, choking back the painful memories she had stupidly picked at seconds earlier.

"That's not important," he responded brashly, pushing past her and though the front door. "Where's dinner?"

She carefully entered and closed the door behind her as she slunk into the house after her husband. "I didn't know if you'd be coming. I'm sorry; I'll have to make you something quick."

He gave her a disgusted look as he took his place at the kitchen table. "Didn't know if I was coming? Christ On Ji, I was only gone a couple of hours! Don't be such a drama queen."

Now scanning the cabinets for something to make, On Ji only nodded, deciding that if he was going to tell her anything, it would not be because of any pressure she gave. Any second now she could tell her would be bragging about where he had been, she could hear it in his voice.

"If you really must know, I was downtown with the boys. I happened to meet someone _very_ interesting while I was out."

She sighed. "Another man trying to scan us out of our savings? Hide I told you-"

"No, no, no!" he leaned forward in his chair to emphasize his point. "This is different. This guy's the real deal. He's out scouting for potential members all across the nation!"

"Members?"

"For the resistance! Ziu and Ryuo have already agreed to go! Of course I can't because I have to take care of you, but the least we could do is donate to the cause."

There it was. It was always money. Every time he entered their home it seemed he had some new friend who needed money for 'the cause'. The way those drifters came by each day- preaching Ozai this and Ozai that, making fools out of the hundreds of wealthy loyalist families- it was a wonder they didn't have enough money to buy the Fire Nation.

"I mean it this time On Ji! This man is serious!" Hide pleaded, after seeing his wife's disbelieving expression. "If he wasn't then why would he allow Ziu and Ryuo to join him? He's building an army, and we need to help in anyway we can."

On Ji rolled her eyes as she began bringing the pot to a boil with Hide, now out of his seat, hovering over her to accurately catch her expression.

"Would you listen to me for once!" he shouted, violently pulling her away from the pot to face him. But, without speaking, she simply slipped out of his grip and returned her attention to the fire; her expression unmoved.

"Damn it, On Ji! This is important! Can't you just say something?" He scolded to her back, his voice rising with frustration.

Then, just to spite him, she began humming softly to herself while stirring the noodles, as if his wasn't even there. 'It'll be a cold day in hell before he gives out any more of our money for his stupid 'cause'' she thought.

Hide grew red with anger, his fists clenching tightly at his sides. Before he knew what he was doing, he had pushed his wife out of the way and kicked the pot with all his might. It clattered aggressively into the fire, water spilling out into the flames to produce a small steam before dripping onto the floor at their feet.

"Shit! Look what you made me do!" he spat, turning to face the surprisingly expressionless woman.

"Me?" she screamed, finally allowing herself to anger. "I have to wait all fucking day for you to get home, worried sick, just so you can come back to ruin our floors and a perfectly good batch of noodles, which by the way, I have to now clean up! And you're mad because I don't want to waste all of our money on your stupid 'cause'? You know I was saving that for something important!"

Hide's voice rose even louder to match hers. "It's not like we're having a baby anymore, On Ji! Its not my fucking fault you miscarried!"

Suddenly the shouting stopped. He looked at her, and she looked at him. A gust of wind blew in though the open window, chilling the air, however neither one dared shutter against the cold. A lone cricket chirped outside, but otherwise all was still.

On Ji turned away from him, forcing herself to once again become stoic. He shifted uncomfortably, before finally sitting himself down into the dinning room chair and clearing his throat. Upon sitting, Hide finally found his voice once more.

"I'm sorry I had to bring that up, but come on! You're being ridiculous to hold onto that money, when it can be used to buy supplies for the revolution." He looked up to notice no change in her, and sighed.

"On Ji, sometimes it seems like you don't even care about what's happening to our, once proud, nation. This new 'Firelord' has shamed us all with his treason. We've lost the war and nobody even seems to care! And now our hard won colonies are being lost to those Earth Kingdom peasants! Not to mention, our school systems are now brainwashing our children into believing this Avatar propaganda! On Ji, don't you see? We-"

"Hide," she cut him off, her voice suddenly stern, yet full of emotion. "Do you even remember when we were in school? Don't you remember the lack of self-realization we all had? How they forbid everything? Art, singing…dancing?"

At the word Hide looked up; he knew where this was going.

"We were just slaves to our 'cause', without any kind or identity of our own. I'll admit that I don't know much about politics, but if people under Ozai's rule are just going to continue to be blinded like that, then I'm not very sure I would like raise a child in a world where he's just going to be some pawn in your precious 'cause'. I want my child to grow up in a world were he can be free. Where he can be himself."

Hide stared blankly up at his wife as she continued to lean against the wall uneasily, her gaze, however, meeting his with full force. A moment passed.

Finally he stood up violently, letting his chair clatter to the ground in his suppressed rage. Not breaking the hateful eye contact, he grabbed his coat off the rack and approached the door.

Halfway out, he paused for a second to stare at On Ji one last time, before finally breaking his eye contact with her and stomping out into the cool, dark air. She slowly walked up to the widow to watch his silhouette fade away into the moonless night.

She was finally alone, and she didn't know if she should feel relived or horrified, so she felt both.

But she wouldn't want it any other way.


End file.
